The Trenton Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) has received a $26,250 grant from Digital Main Street Ontario. A portion of the grant is for a Digital Service Squad (DSS) to help Brighton small businesses use digital technologies to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. Funding for the grant is provided by FedDev Ontario. The squad will begin visiting businesses in downtown the downtown area this fall.
“We are excited to launch this program. It gives Brighton downtown businesses another resource to serve their customers and attract new clients. An online presence during this COVID-19 pandemic is more important than ever,” said Trenton DBIA Executive Director Lisa Kuypers- Schroedter. Established in 2018, Digital Main Street Ontario was recently extended thanks to an investment of $42.5 million from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and $7.45 million from the Ontario Ministry for Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT). The nearly $50-million investment will help small businesses across Ontario to pivot their operations to include online business models, regain lost revenue and become more resilient and competitive as the economy recovers. The Ontario BIA Association administers the DMS grant program to Ontario’s main street small businesses.
Digital Service Squads are fundamental to Digital Main Street’s design and success, with trained specialists who meet with small businesses, at no cost, to help them improve their online presence. The squads assist with a number of activities, including developing a Google My Business profile, enhancing their social media presence and providing support for basic website and e-commerce set-up. Squads will also assist qualified small businesses through the application process for a $2,500 Digital Transformation Grant, which includes an online assessment, online training modules and the development of a Digital Transformation Plan (DTP).
“The COVID-19 pandemic hit Ontario’s main streets hard, so Digital Main Street is needed more than ever,” said Kay Matthews, Executive Director of OBIAA. “We know that businesses that participated in Digital Main Street last year were better able to cope when the pandemic hit, and we’re excited that FedDev Ontario and Ontario are providing the funding to extend this important program to help businesses in the Quinte Area.”
